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Nier

Prologue

In June 12, 2003, a red dragon and an enormous white statue-like monster (the queen from Drakengard's E ending) appear mysteriously in Shinjuku, Tokyo, causing heavy casualties. They start inexplicably battling one another. After some time, the behemoth appears to have been destroyed, as he crumbles, and the dragon is shot down by the japanese air force.

Despite the governmental care in hiding the event, having concealed the dragon in a secret research facility, it is leaked to the public generating paranoia and chaos among the population.

In December, an inexplicable fatal disease, in which the victim's body gradually chlorinates, appears in Shinjuku. First a rare condition, came to know a boom in infected in the following months.

Some of the infected start showing signs of violent and destructive behavior. Incidents begin to occur in Shinjuku, causing destabilization and deindustrialization of the zone. International pressure is applied to urge Japan to resolve this health issue.

The disease is named White Chlorination Syndrome, and further studies reveal that the victims either die or become insane.

Tokio Prefectural Hall, located initially in west Shinjuku, is moved, and further proposals to relocate the national government and the Imperial Residence are presented.

As the city's Danger Level reaches 4, transportation stoppages and roadblocks are erected.

The japanese government decrees the physical sealing of Shinjuku, and, despite mixed public opinions, the Wall of Jericho is built.

Further infected displaying insanity are forcefully suppressed, gathering acute international criticism.

Social unrest continues to escalate, as video transmissions from members of the media voluntarily staying within the enclosed region are released. The final take ends in a scream, as a large white figure appears, and and the feedback is cut-off. While initially kept secret, this movie leaks on the internet.

With the efforts of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and vigilant groups in routing out the beserkers, the disease's transmission rate seems to have slowed down. Research on the illness continues.

In May 2006, a breakthrough study about the WCS is made public, suggesting that the insanity and death caused by contamination is determinable at genetical level. It states that people with slight irregularities in specific chromosomes have a high probability of going beserk. (This is later considered as a mistaken interpretation, as the results that served as basis were forged.)

A terrorist attack to the facility holding the dragon's body is prevented, by the security forces, the police and JSDF. Rumors of religious groups' and North America's involvement arise. Official military responses becomes extreme.

Irregularities are found in aerial photographs of Shinjuku, an unusual black spot is noticed. This issue was noted, but authorities dismiss it.

The Jericho Wall is razed, from the inside in February 2008. A sound, similar to the one emitted when the giant white monster fell, is listened. Infected pour out of the barricade, apparently obeying a red-eyed leader, infecting and killing indiscriminately civilians. Japan Self-Defense Forces engage the contaminated, with low success, as they are more organized than expected.

A resurgence of the White Chlorinate Syndrome occurs in the following months. The disease spreads out of Tokyo to all the Kanto region.

The secret facility holding the dragon's body is moved outside of Japan, rumors say, to America.

The motion of relocation the japanese government and Royal Palace to the relatively peaceful Kyushu is approved, and carried.

The conflict spreads, setting all the Honshu island in battle, between the now called Legion (infected) and the army, resembling a civil war. Civilians flee to Kyushu and Hokkaido, while immigrants from Japan start overflowing foreign countries, leading to an international embargo on passengers.

The mysterious illness continues to escalate, leading to an increase in deaths and violence.

Crime skyrockets amidst the chaos, with the government helpless to restore order, being hampered by foreign interferences. A american-japanese joint operation is suggested, but heavily criticized internationaly for its one-sided nature, disfavorable to the country. The government is also undecided, as the cabinet desires to retain the knowledge gained with the situation, as well as feels optimistic about the development of the counter to WCS.

In the following months, due to the raising instability, an accord is forged between the US and Japan, January 2009.

The american armed forces supporting the efforts already in place, broaden the scope of the conflict. The situation tips favorably to the human side. Legion corpses and captives are transported back to the United States.

A plan to bomb Shinjuku is elaborated, as infected continue to pour from the city, and executed, although only a slight decrease in Legion numbers is verified. Studies about the plague continue to progress, but an effective method of fighting is still unclear.

The american and japanese governments discuss the possible nuclear bombing of Shinjuku, leading to mixed reactions towards the measure in Japan, and favourable overseas. The motion is approved.

On the same day as the Hiroshima bombing, August 6, Shinjuku is destroyed. The event come to be known as "a second Hiroshima Tragedy".

The event became the tipping point for more nuclear attacks, affecting all of Japan.

Total destruction of the Legion in Japan is confirmed scientifically in November 2009.

First cases of White Chlorination Syndrome spotted outside of Japan, in China in February 2010. The reappearance of the Legion.

More cases are confirmed in several countries. Various nations join the research on the incurable illness.

Death and the Legion become global, as of April 2010. The resurgence of "Red-Eye" (codename for the apparent leader). Chaos and destruction accelerate through the world.

Research on the dragon's body prove fruitful, leading to the acceptance of the "multiple worlds theory", that states the existence of more than one dimensions of reality. Discovery of a new chemical element, in the body of the white monster, later called "maso".

Further research reveal that maso is the probable cause of the White Chlorination Syndrome, and shows the catalyst effect of heat and nuclear energy in its dispersion. This lead to the conclusion that the strikes against infected zones in Japan only precipitated its propagation worldwide. WCS is now considered an airborne disease.

Breakthroughs in several scientific areas are also made, because of maso.

Research in the "multiple worlds" theory continues.

A terrorist attack occurs in the laboratory holding the red dragon, leading to the destruction of the facility and the disappearance of the body. Rumours connect the event with a extremist religious group.

In March 14, 2014, Project Gestalt is started by the newly created World Purification Organization, in an efford to contain the White Chlorination Syndrome. Research is done in the subject of separating body and soul - Gestaltisierung.

Experiments on the undertaking come to succeed on humans, as do tests of returning "gestaltized" souls to their bodies.

Further investigation is taken into "maso". Attempts of using the element to harness energy from other worlds are met with a favorable outcome, giving birth to "magic".

Gestaltisierung is met with apprehension and scepticism by the general public, failing at gaining popularity. Research on the technique still continues, with the problem of a possible gestaltized soul having lost his body.

A drug called Luciferase, that delays the progress of WCS in the host, is approved in February 2016.

The medicine is used in the creation of a special squad to battle the Legion, with promising success.

The "First Crusade" squad is formed with the mission of vanquishing the infected. They fight bravely, but are ultimately defeated.

It is proved that Luciferase is more effective in younger patients.

Children and adolescents with high physical ability are scouted all over the world, and trained at the newly formed Hamelin Organization, for the purpose of fighting the Legion. The "Fifth Crusade" is then assembled.

Within the japanese government grew the desire of a stronger military force in opposition of the Hamelin Organization, and from that crave is born the National Weapons Laboratory in 2018, with the codename of Murasaki (Purple). Its main directive is to enhance humans by with the use of maso manipulation, in order to create weapons.

Crusaders and Legion reach a standstill as war rages on. The Hamelin Organization continues gaining influence all over the world.

With the combats dragging on and the continuous migrations, the global economy crisis continues to accentuate, and slums expand throughout the world.

Research into replication techniques of human bodies begin, as of January 2025, as part of the Gestalt Project. Preparation of vessels - replicants - for gestaltized souls succeeds. Genetic information for the artificial bodies is taken from the previously processed souls (gestalts).

A critical accident takes place at the National Weapons Laboratory. Subject Number 6 escapes and runs amok. Implementation of Subject 7 as emergence countermeasure is executed.

Experimenting with maso to enhance human ability proves to be dangerous and unwieldy. Progress on the project is stalled, and the facility is scaled back significantly.

The last "Red Eye" is killed in Jerusalem in 2030, by the Hamelin's Thirteenth Crusade. With the death of the leader, Legion lost the ability to conduct unified movement.

The White Chlorination Syndrome continues to spread globally.

February, 2032, the twin processes Gestaltization and Replicantization are announced to the public.

Project Gestalt reaches its final stages. As it grows steadily in popularity around the world, an increasing number of people starts going through to the process, with the corresponding creation of their replicant. The gestalt is left in stasis while the pandemic isn't eradicated, with the non-sentient clone taken under the supervision of programmed overseer androids. This automatons are made to operate continuously, and are placed at various points around the world, working as managers of the "Replication System", recreating it indefinitely. The copies are left to continue the campaign against The Legion, and gather the remaining maso, sent afterwards by the cyborgs to the other world.

In 2033, the Grimoire Noir Project is started. The aim of this undertaking is to, using multiple-world technology, embed gestalts in book-like vessels. Thirteen grimoires are created. Two of them, named Weiss and Noir respectively are designed to open simultaneously after the White Chlorination Syndrome and Legion had been proven vanquished, with the resulting surge of energy causing all gestalts to take control of their corresponding replicants.

With the dispersion Gestaltization underwent globally, it became apparent the existence of an extremely high probability that a gestalt would lose his self-awareness and go berserk some time after the procedure, and eventually die - victims of this condition are called "relapsed". Scientists theorize that timed extractions of maso from a stable gestalt (capable of maintaining its conscience naturally) and posterior infusion in the decaying individual would counter this problem. However there are no successful cases. To find the needed exceptional occurrence, the World Purification Organization starts distributing clones of Grimoire Noir among the poorer segments of the populations throughout the world, and charges the Hamelin Group of tracking the specific specimen.

The number of gestalts grew swiftly over time, still a suitable donor is yet to be found.

Nier, The Novelised Odyssey

I've written a coherent recount of Nier's setting and plot for a website, but as it was considered too literary I'll leave it here for the people interested.

When starting the game, the name of the main character is chosen by the player, but as Nier is his canonical name, he will be treated as so, to remain faithful to the way he was envisioned.

The story presented here is divided in:

1. Prologue - narrates the events prior to the beginning of the game.

2. Chapter 1 - describes the occurrences in the first part of the game, before the time-skip.

3. Intermission - gives an account of developments during Chapter 1 that didn't feature in the game.

4. Chapter 2 - relates to the second part of the game, after the time-skip, including all the endings.

5. Epilogue - provides the final outcome, that succeeds to the end of the game.

Prologue, Intermission and Epilogue are closely inspired in Grimoire Nier (provided as source book for the game in Japan). For more informations, look here.

Chapter 1 depicts closely the first section of the game (prior to Yonah's kidnap), as it is experienced in the first time played.

Chapter 2 is a faithful account of the events in the second part of the game (after the kidnap of Yonah), after the end of the first playthrough. This is important to note because there are hidden dialogue and scenes that appear only after the player finishes the game a first time.

Elements featured in both Chapter 1 and 2 can vary from session to session, as the game has some non-linear elements.

Although the third and fourth endings also featured in the story recap, they are only available from the third play-through onwards (more information in the Endings section).

So read at your own discretion, preferably after finishing the game twice so you don't get spoiled.

Have fun!